Clymer students are pictured in the crowd at the Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 stop earlier in June. Photo courtesy of Clymer Central School’s Facebook page

CLYMER – Second and fifth graders at Clymer Central School got to see a piece of history thanks, in part, to some quick thinking from Clymer’s school resource officer.

At the beginning of June, Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 made a stop in Ripley on its journey north, and some students from Clymer Central School were given the opportunity to go and see it as it stopped. During the June Board of Education meeting, Andrea Bryant, Clymer director of learning and development, spoke with the school board about the field trip, which was for second and fifth grade.

Bryant said everything was thrown together for that quickly, but that the school Transportation Department was willing and able to help and they got a bus and driver within a day or two of the trip.

“We were planning on sending the second grade,” Bryant said. “We had put it out to everybody, but the second grade jumped on it. And the day before, the fifth grade decided they wanted to go also.”

The transportation team was able to make everything work, and the food service team was also able to throw together some bagged lunches for students for the day too.

“Officer Cronin actually ended up going also,” Bryant said. “He decided to drive his police car over, and thank goodness because it was crazy over there I guess. There was supposed to be a parking spot there for us at the school, and it was not there. So, he was able to get some people to let them park in their driveway and lead the way to get the bus out of there quicker than I think it would’ve been because it was very busy.”

In total five adults went with the kids, and Bryant said everyone had a great time. She said the students enjoyed talking about it to her afterwards at lunch.

“It was a great last minute trip and a once in a lifetime experience for those kids,” Bryant said.